This is a message for myself. Other readers mileage will vary.
Bitch, you have enough time to do the things you wish you were doing.
Watch great films and read great books. Make the art projects you Daydream of. If you have the time to lose to scrolling posts: you have the time to read a book.
The book does not have to be hard. The book can be a comic. The book can be a poem. Yes, there is danger of missing your stop on the bus because the book is too good. This has happened to me enough times. On longer journeys, there is no risk. Sitting in bed, there is no risk. Set a timer on your lunch break.
You have limited time at your desk for proper drawing? You can thumbnail and plot and plan on your phone or a scrap of paper or your notebook.
You can take notes for an article or a Zine anywhere.
Yes, you are tired and yes, the puppy dog will eat any paper that he sees and take the book from your hand… but think how much time on walks you sink into leftist comedy podcasts. That could be redirected into finishing the damn Dracula audiobook you started last year? You were enjoying it. Why did you stop?
Find the time or it will not happen. There are so few perfect moments for focused creation. There are so many imperfect moments where you can plan or tinker or edit or try.
You can't type out an article and you blame it on brain fog and depression and whatever else? This was all written in an afternoon with text to speech and ideas I have percolated for months. Use the tools that work for you, find them and refine them.
There is the artist that you want to be, the person that you want to be. You must keep walking towards them. Progress is slow. Creation is slow. But slow is better than stagnation and practice makes it easier. You must create. You must feed your mind and your heart. You must not wallow. And sink into the tar pit.
Your life is full of responsibility and moments in between. The moments are yours. And there are the hours you sink into The Sims 3. You can chill out if you want. But if all you do is chill, you'll never have the time because you spent it. And you must remember that creation is also cathartic. You must remember that art is a thing you must keep doing.
Bitch make zines that only cost time. Blog. Photograph with your phone. Draw comics with coloured pencils you bought when you were 17.
Not to mention girl - and this one really is just for you - : you have a decent wage and no children. You can just buy art supplies if you want. In fact, you do.
Doing stuff is draining. But much of it can also fuel you.
Not all of this will apply to other readers. But they might be uncomfortable with how many points do. You also have some amount of time. Have some amount of energy. You can do more if you want to.
Do not listen to the fools who tell you that you can't. They say "You don't know my life. You don't know how busy I am!" Well: they don't know how busy you are. You have time, bitch. And many of them do too.
You're not gonna be one of the great Italian artists whose only job has been to sculpt from the age of six. You have no team of talented assistants or rich patrons to achieve those mighty works. But you have you and time and a computer. And you can achieve SOMETHING.